Emergency program to give people $50 off monthly internet bills
Americans began applying for $50 off their monthly internet bills on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic.
The $3.2 billion program is part of the $900 billion December pandemic-relief package. The government is increasing spending on broadband as the pandemic made stark that millions of Americans did not have access to, and could not afford, broadband at a time when jobs, school and health care was moving online.
It’s unclear how long the money will last but it’s expected to be several months. Tens of millions of people are eligible, although the Federal Communications Commission, which is administering the program, did not specify a number.
For example, your household is eligible if you receive food stamps, have a child in the free or reduced-price school lunch program, use Medicaid, or lost income during the pandemic and made $99,000 for single filers, or $198,000 for joint filers, or less.
There are other requirements, too — visit getemergency broadband.org to find out if you are eligible.
You can get the discount even if you owe your phone or cable company money. That’s important because some people have been barred from low-cost plans offered by internet service providers when they owed their service provider money. More than 800 cellphone and home-internet companies are participating, including AT&T, Charter, Comcast, T-Mobile and Verizon.
In Chattanooga, EPB also plans to be a participant in the assistance program and the cityowned utility is still working out the final details, EPB spokesman J. Ed. Marston said. People may apply for the assistance and call EPB, which will begin processing the applications once received to help pay for both current and previous broadband bills.
Astec Industries, which former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga engineering professor Don Brock started in 1972, is a global leader in equipment manufacturing for road building and aggregate processing. The company also operates the Astec-brand manufacturing complex on Jerome Avenue and a Heatec factory on Wilson Road, along with its corporate headquarters on Shepherd Road near Chattanooga’s airport.
The latest job additions will boost Astec’s total employment in Chattanooga to more than 1,500 workers, or nearly half the company’s 3,700-employee workforce employed at 25 sites worldwide.
Astec manufactures more than 100 products from rock crushing and screening plants to hot mix-asphalt facilities, concrete plants, milling machines, asphalt pavers and material transfer vehicles.
“Our vision is about building connections whether it’s to our customers, employees or the communities where we operate,” said Barry Ruffalo, president and CEO of Astec Industries Inc. “We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the state of Tennessee, city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County. We look forward to strengthening that connection and bringing more growth and opportunity to the area.”
Astec announced in January it as closing its manufacturing site in Tacoma, Washington, as part of the company’s efforts to “simplify, focus and grow the Astec family,” Ruffalo said. The Carlson paving products made in Washington are being shifted to other Astec facilities, Ruffalo said.
Anderson said Astec is still considering other manufacturing opportunities at the Tacoma facility.
The Astec expansion is among 40 projects supported by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development over the past five years in Hamilton County. Collectively, those projects have involved $1.6 billion of investment and are projected to create nearly 6,000 jobs.
“Over 80% of projects in Hamilton County in the last five years have been expansions, which shows that once a business puts down roots here, it has plenty of reasons to stay and grow,” said Bob Rolfe, Tennessee’s commissioner for Economic and Community Development.